Sewing machine



G. SAUER SEWING MACHINE Filed April 3, 1934 June 9, 1936.

2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Julie 9, 1 936.

G. SAUER SEWING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 9, 1936 SEWING. MACHINE George Saner, Berwyn, IlL, assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 3, 1934, Serial No. 718,855

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more particularly to the construction of the housing for the operating parts of the stitching mechanism and the feeding mechanism, and the means for providing lubrication therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide'a sewing machine wherein the main actuating shaft and the immediate parts operated thereby are disposed within a closed housing, having an oil bath at the lower portion thereof, and wherein said shaft is provided with means disposed scas to be partly immersed in the oil bath so that oil adhering thereto will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force for creating a mist of oil within the housing for lubricating the operating parts disposed therein.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention-- 20 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a sewing machine embodying the improvements, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' It is very important in asewing machine that the actuated parts be well housed so as to prevent lubricating oil used in connection with said actuated parts from being thrown on to the fabric being stitched. This is particularly true '0 of the cup feed type of machine, wherein the feeding mechanism and the stitching mechanism is, to a large extent, located wholly above the fabric sections which are being stitched. The.

. present invention has to do with a construction 5 of housing and a lubricating system whereby the actuated parts are freely lubricated and, atthe same time, the fabric being stitched is protected- 50 that no lubricating oil is thrown thereon. In

. thedrawings there is shown an illustrated em- 40 bodiment of the invention as applied to a cup feed type of machine. The machine includes a housing which is closed and which contains practically all of the actuating parts for the various elements of the sewing machine. The housing includes a 46 base portion l which is mounted on a suitable support, andrising from this base portion I is a standard2, at the upper end of which is a laterally projecting portion 3. Mounted in this laterally projecting portion3 is a sleeve 4 in "which is mounted a shaft, and atthe lower end of the shaft is a feed cup 5 which is fixed to the shaft and rotated thereby. Also mounted in this laterally projecting portion of the housing is a bushing 6, through which the shaft section 1 extends. Attached to the shaft section I is a gear wheel 8 which meshes with a gear wheel 9 that is attached to the shaft carrying the inner feed cup 5. Mounted on the laterally projecting portion 3 of the housing is a bracket arm III carrying the sleeve I I in which is mounted a shaft section car- 5 rying the feed cup l2. The upper end of the shaft section carrying the feed cup l2 is connected through a universal joint l3 with the shaft section I. The bracket can be swung on its pivot for separating the feed cups. The shaft carrying the gear wheel 9 is actuated by the clutch feed which in turn is oscillatedby a link l4. This link I4 receives its endwise movement from an eccentric strap l5 cooperating with an eccentric on the main actuating shaft IS. The main actuating shaft l6 extends through the standard portion of the housing and is mounted in suitable bearings carried thereby. The bearing for the main actuating shaft is in the form of a sleeve I l which is secured tothe housing by screws l8. This sleeve carries a. bushing I9, and the main actuating shaft extends through these bushings [9. The sleeves at the opposite sides of the housing are similar in construction, and the one at the left, in Fig. 2, is the only one which is shown in section. The sleeve is provided with a recess having a wall which inclines downwardly toward the chamber within the housing. The sleeve I1 is also provided with a groove 49 which communicates with the recess 20. The groove 49 is formed with a wall portion inclined outwardly toward the shaft l6 which carries a belt pulley 50 having an integral collar portion 5| extending into the groove 49 inthe sleeve I1. This collar portion 5| is provided with peripheral inclined flanges 52 so that any oil working out of the bushing will be thrown by the flanges 52 into the groove 49 from which it will drain back into the housing through the recess 20.

The housing, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 40 2, is provided with a bottom wall 2| which is disposed at some little distance from the extreme bottom edge of the base of the housing. This bottom wall is formed integral with the side walls of the housing and forms therewith a chamber in which the oil bath may be maintained at the bottom of the chamber. The oil bath extends up to the broken line in Fig. 2,,which is at a slight distance below the actuating shaft and the sleeve bearings therefor.

The fabric being stitched is placed between the feed cups with the edge portions thereof projecting above the feed cups. The needle carried by a needle bar 22 reoiprocates across the feed cups, penetrating the fabric edges and placing leads back into the chamber of the housing, so that any oil thrown against the inner end of the bushing may work into the bushing and lubricate This spreader bar does not have any endwise the parts with which the needle barcontacts, but the recess will prevent the oil from working all the way through the bushing, as it will trap and return any excess oil which may be carried into the bushing by the reciprocating needle bar. Through this construction of bushing, the needle bar and the actuating parts therefor may operate in a mist of lubricating oil without any danger of the oil working through the bushing and being thrown by the reciprocations of the needle bar on to the fabric.

Cooperating with the needle is a looper 21. Said looper is carried by a bar 28 which is mounted for oscillation and reciprocation in a bushing 29. This bushing completely closes the opening through the front wall, so that the looper bar may be thoroughly lubricated through the application of a mist of oil thereto, without any danger of the oil flowing along the looper bar and being thrown thereby against the fabric. This bushing 29 is provided with a recess for trapping any excess oil which works into the bushmg.

The looper bar 28 is moved endwise by means of an arm 30 fixed to a sleeve 3| which is mounted for oscillation on a shaft 32. Between the sleeve and the shaft is a bushing 33. Oil ports 34 lead through the sleeve and bushing so that a mist of oil within the housing may pass into said ports and lubricate the-surface between the bushing and. the shaft. The shaft is stationary. The shaft extends through bearing bosses 35 formed in. the wall of the standard portion of the housing. Headed bolts'36 are threaded into the shaft and bear against a sealing gasket 31. This forms a tight seal for the shaft so that-there is no chance for the lubricating oil to work out through the mounting for this shaft on which the sleeve is supported. The sleeve is held from endwise movement on the shaft by a collar 38. Attached to this sleeve 3| is an arm 39- carrying -aball stud 40. A link 4| is attached to'the ball stud and cooperates with a crank .42 on the main actuating shaft l6.

The looper bar 28 is provided with a fixed collar 53 having a laterally extending ball stud 54 which is connected by a link 55 to an eccentric member 56 carried by the main shaft l6. By this mechanism. the looper bar is oscillated about its axis during the endwise movement thereof. In order to restrainthe link from any tendency to twist, the bail stud 54 is provided with'a pin 51 which is engaged by a forked member 58 carried by the link. 1

Cooperating with the looper and needle is a spreader 43. This spreader 431s carried by a spreader bar which is mounted for reciprocation in a bushing 44. The bushing 44 closes an movement. It is oscillated only. The spreader upper end of said spreader bar is a sleeve 46 carrying a projecting arm provided with a ball stud, and an eccentric strap 41 cooperating with the ball stud also cooperates with an eccentric on the main actuating shaft l6. 5

From the above it will be noted that the fabric supporting means is disposed exteriorly of the housing. The shafts which support the feed cups extend through bushings or sleeves closing openings in the wall of the housing and the 10 actuating parts' for these shafts are completely enclosedlwithin the housing.- These feed cupswhich form the feeding mechanism are, therefore, operated from the main actuating shaft by actuated members completely enclosed within the 15 housing and in a chamber extending all the way from the oil bath at the bottom of the housing to the extreme upper portion of the housing in which the operating gears and the feed clutch are mounted. The stitch forming mechanism, in- 20 cluding the needle, the looper and the spreader,

are each operated from an actuating shaft through actuated parts located wholly within this chamber in the housing.

Mounted on the actuating shaft I6 is a disk 48 25 which is preferably of uniform radius. The disk is so dimensioned that the lower portion thereof is immersed in the oil bath. As parts of the disk pass into the oil bath, oil will adhere thereto, and as these parts carrying the adhering oil leave 30 the bath, the centrifugal force operating on the oil will cause it to move out to the peripheral edge of the disk and be thrown therefrom. The oil thrown from the disk striking the parts within the housing and the walls of the housing will 35 form a mist or spray of oil, completely filling the whole chamber, so that all of these operated parts within the chamber will be thoroughly lubricated. The oil will drain back into the sump or oil bath at the bottom of the housing. From Figures 40 1 and 2, it will be noted that the actuating shaft and thecranks carried thereby are all located above the oil bath. At no time do the cranks contact with the oil, and there is, therefore, no.

tact therewith, and therefore, there is no stirring of the oil by the disk which serves to take up the oil and throw it in the form of a mist throughout the casing. Furthermore, the oil isnot agitated by the disk or any other moving parts, and therefore, the sediment formingin the oil is allowed 55 to settle and remain in the bottom of the sump.

While the invention is described as embodied in a machine having feed cups, it will be understood that the oil distributing means may be used in connection with other types of sewing machines 60 where the actuated parts are enclosed within a housing, so that oil thrown by this rotating disk will not be thrown on to the fabric. The particular stitch forming elements illustrated, and the particular feeding mechanism illustrated, per se, form no part of the present invention. They. have been illustrated for the purpose of showing one way whereby the actuated parts for the stitch forming mechanism and the feeding mechanism, and the actuating shaft therefor, may be completely enclosed within a housing and efllciently lubricated. 1

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1 1. A sewing machine comprising a closed housing having an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, means disposed exteriorly thereof for supporting the fabric for stitching, a feeding mechanism, a stitch forming mechanism, an actuating shaft extending through said hous'ng above the surface of the oil bath, devices extending into said closed housing and operated by said shaft for actuating said feeding mechanism and for actuating said stitch forming mechanism, and means fixed to said shaft within said housing and disposed so as to be partly immersed in the oil bath whereby oil adhering thereto will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force for lubricating the operating parts within said housing.

2. A sewing machine comprising a closed housing having an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, means disposed exteriorly thereof for supporting the fabric for stitching, a feeding mechanism, a stitch forming mechanism, an actuating shaft extending through said housing above the surface of the oil bath, devices extending into said closed housing and operated by said shaft for actuating said feeding mechanism and for actuating said stitch forming mechanism, and a disk fixed to said shaft within said housing and disposed so as to be partly immersed in the oil bath whereby oil adhering thereto will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force for lubricating the operating parts within the housing.

3. A sewing machine comprising a closed housing having an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, said housing having a laterally projecting portion forming a chamber communicating with a chamber in the housing, feed cups for supporting fabrics carried by said laterally projecting portion of the housing, actuating means for the feed cups locatedin the chamber in said laterally projecting portion of the housing, an actuating shaft extending through the housing above the surface of the oil bath, stitch forming mechanism including a needle, a looper and a spreader, a bar to which said needle is attached, a bar to which the looper is attached and a bar to which the spreader is attached, each of said bars extending through the wall of the housing and located in a bushing closing an opening through the wall, actuating means operated by said shaft for each of said bars, and means fixed to the shaft within the housing and disposed so as to be partly immersed in the oil bath whereby oil adhering thereto will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force for lubricating the operating parts within the chamber in the housing and in the laterally projecting portion thereof.

4. A sewing machine comprising a closed housing having an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, said housing having a laterally projecting portion forming a chamber conm'iunicating with a chamber in the housing, feed cups for supporting fabrics carried by said laterally projecting portion of the housing, actuating means for the feed cups located in the chamber in said laterally projecting portion of the housing, an actuating shaft extending through the housing above the surface of the oil bath, stitch forming mechanism including a needle, 9. looper and a spreader, a bar to which said needle is attached, a bar to which the looper is attached and a bar to which the spreader is attached, each of said bars extending through the wall of the housing and located in a bushing closing an opening through the wall, actuating means operated by said shaft for each of said bars, and a disk fixed to said shaft within the housing and disposed so as to be partly immersed in an oil bath whereby oil adhering thereto will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force for lubricating the operating parts within the chamber in the housing and in the laterally projecting portion thereof.

, 5. A sewing machine comprising a housing, a main actuating shaft extending into said housing, said housing having a projecting portion,

feed cups suspended from said projecting portion, an operating means for said feed cups enclosed within said projecting portion of the housing, a needle bar projecting through an opening in the front wall of the housing, a bushing in said.

opening in which said needle bar reciprocates, a looper bar extending through an opening in the front wall of the housing, a bushing in said opening in which said looper bar reciprocates and oscillates, a spreader bar extending through an opening in the front wall of said housing, a bushing in said opening in which said spreader bar oscillates, said bushings being constructed so as to close the openings through the front wall of the housing, and a disk carried by said actuating shaft and disposed so that the lower portion thereof extends beneath the surface of a bath of oil and whereby the oil thrown from the periphery thereof will lubricate all of the moving parts within said housing.

6. A sewing machine comprising a frame having an oiltight compartment with an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, a feeding mechanism, a stitching mechanism, a rotating shaft extending through said compartment, devices carried by said shaft in said compartment for actuating the stitching mechanism and actuating the feeding fechanism, said shaft and said devices being all disposed above and out of contact with said 011 bath, and a member fixed to said shaft within said compartment and havingall points of its periphery an equal distance from the axis of said shaft, said member being disposed so as to be partially and continuously immersed in the oil bath whereby the actuating devices are lubricated by oil distributed by' centrifugal force from said member.

'7. A sewing machine comprising a frame having an oiltight compartment with an oil bath in the lower portion thereof, a stitching mechanism, a rotating shaft extending through said compartment, devices carried by said shaft in said compartment for operating the stitching mechanism, said shaft and said devices being all disposed above and out of contact with the oil bath, and a member fixed to said shaft within said compartment and having all points of its periphery an equal distance from the axis of said shaft, said member being disposed so as to be partially and continuously immersed in the oil bath whereby the actuating devices are lubricated by oil distributed by centrifugal force from said member.

GEORGE SAUER. 

